Saludos desde T5 de Heathrow

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Geo: 37.3833, -5.9965

Time Check: 11:35 hrs - T5....only 1 hour to go before we can "drop off" our bags!. Early as usual....Cathy in bright green pantaloons and me in my new "Euro booties" a great Birthday present along with two spare pairs!

Confusion at "Check In"........ As usual, "techno baffle strikes".... and as this is a 2 sector flight using BA and Iberia we are only able to check in on line with the BA LHR to Madrid part. The "SIESTA FACTOR" is already apparent as we will need to get a PRINTED (Eh What mate) boarding card in Madrid for the run into Seville! I feel the 1980's coming on here...

Gnome man: Already, we meet an interesting co-traveller who is reading a guide book to "GNOMES" - He is off to Gnomland in Denmark with his Gnome wife and baby Gnome.

Disappointment! For many years I have been promising myself a plate of Oysters and a glass of fizz at the "Seafood" Bar. Much excitement and anticipation...only to find there was not one!!!. ARGHHH - only a burger joint called GIRAFFE stuffed full of upmarket screaming kids with designer parents. We settle on the reliable PLANE FOOD - RAMSAY franchise - good fishcakes and a plate of Carpacchio washed down with a diet coke all for £50. Hmmmm.

As it is bank holiday T5 is more Like the South Terminal at Gatwick. Spray tan hatchet faced women replace the business types - BUT they are not hard up. One is giving the 3rd degree to her travel "organiser"....NO I WANT the Palace Suite....Yes ........but does it rain all day in Mumbai...I need to know if I need a pullover at night......BOOK IT NOW!!!!!

BA - Captain (Squadron Leader really) Thompson-Smith welcomes us aboard in a Battle of Britain "Hello chaps" way. Off we go and the 2hr flight passes quickly. We were running 15 mins late and a short transfer in Madrid makes us nervous. "Whizzo prang" The Squadron Leader has managed to land us only 5 mins behind schedule but has probably "overcooked" the Propellers!!

The transfer to the internal flight was like an episode of the "Its a knockout" .........20 escalators - 6 travellators - 1 monorail - 1 Body Scanner and 300 Chorizo Factory day trippers later we arrive puffing and blowing at Gate 73 - looking rather similar to where we arrived 45 minutes earlier me thinks?

The Iberia Express A320 is full of tanned "Julio" types as well as 3 Hostesses looking like those "Flamenco" Dolls you can purchase in any Benidorm souvenir shop in 1978. No "camp" BA boys here. We are entering the world of "Macho Man"....... cigarillos - bull fighting and silly tight trousers.

At last we arrive in Seville. Narrow Cobbled streets and little Plazas ......off for some Paella and a "BEER".......

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Comments

[Viv]

Those trousers look even better than they did in your 2006 blog! (I love Gnome-man, by the way).